


Extraordinary

by JenniferLourhane



Category: His Dark Materials (TV), His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: Depression, F/F, Marisa loves Lyra, Minor Character Death, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:53:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenniferLourhane/pseuds/JenniferLourhane
Summary: It was miserable years that Marisa Coulter lived after that fateful day.Now, after gaining pardon from Authority and acquiring her status and power, she cannot help but think of a certain girl with dark hair and brown eyes who runs freely on the rooftops of Jordan College.It was a miserable twelve years before Mrs.Coulter looked at the girl with the eyes of her ex-lover, without fail to think while the girl smiled with a smile similar to hers, what was that feeling hitting her chest ?!It was extraordinary.* one shot *His Dark Materials
Relationships: Lyra Belacqua & Marisa Coulter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Extraordinary

**Author's Note:**

> English isn’t my first language, sorry if this fanfic has any grammar mistakes.

It had been 10 years since the fateful day, 10 miserable years since her impeccable reputation was thrown in the trash, 10 years ago and she still couldn't look in the mirror without being disgusted by the reflected vision, her daemon beside her hunched in shame, it made a decade and she still couldn't get the horror out of her mind.

Of course, things had been more difficult, in the first 3 years, Marisa was still the subject of laughter, disgusted looks and conversations between madams and their faithful husbands. She only managed to leave the house without all the whispers accompanying her after 5 years, at least people seemed to pretend to have forgotten. At 6 years she realized that she had to do something about her situation if she ever wanted respect again, so Marisa started working on her project, which occupied all her thoughts for the next two years of her life until the day she passed the doors of the Magisterium and showed her work to the priests, soon gaining complete interest from the Cardinal.

And here Marisa Coulter is, everything has finally returned to its place, soon her project will start in full force in the far north (far from prying eyes), she could walk with her head held high in the Arctic Institute and the ladies of charity were jealous of her.

After all, Mrs. Coulter is intoxicating, soft smiles, sweet perfume, slight waves, a little lashing with pink cheeks and eyes in their deepest blue.

She wielded power over them all and liked that.

In time, the shame of her adultery with a heretical man, the death of her husband at the hands of that man and the sin that once dwelt in her womb were no greater than she was, so Marisa locked up that part of her life and gave back, she couldn't believe how liberating it was, how good it was to breathe again and oh ... how she wanted that part left behind to catch fire, she would light the match herself.

Marisa had everything she could possibly want, a large apartment, status and an appropriate position among the privileged men of patriarchal society.

Even Asriel Belacqua's vision didn’t shake her confident exterior when they ran into the Arctic Institute, although she knew he could see behind the mask.

The golden monkey looked at Stelmaria with desire and a certain kind of sadness, until it received the thud from the back of Mrs.Coulter's hand on his golden head.

Oh, as Marisa would like to pull him out of her, to cut this cord that connected them, he was the biggest culprit in her situation, he betrayed her with impure feelings, one day Marisa will free everyone who was condemned to that fate.

Until then, the doll was perfect.

She arrived early at the station, it was only 5 months since it was built and her project is still being adapted, she couldn't be happier!

With the same smile on her face since she entered the doors of the place, she went to the interception room, the new prototype would be tested today on a guinea pig and she doesn’t like to miss any of these procedures, she insists on watching all the interception processes to be able to take notes and fix errors.

— Hello, Mrs.Coulter! — Sister Clara's sickly sweet voice filled her eardrums when she entered the cabin.

— Where's the child? — She asked stopping in front of the glass, admiring the machine.

As soon as Mrs.Coulter asked, a girl of about 10 years old, with dark hair, came thrashing in the arms of the doctors.

— NO! Please, don’t! I don’t want it! Let me go! — She screamed in a childish voice, her rat-shaped daemon struggling in the teeth of the doctor's canine daemon.

Without remorse and with a certain pleasure, Marisa told them to speed up the procedure.

The doctor locked the girl in the machine and closed the doors.

— Turn on the machine — Mrs.Coulter ordered the blonde doctor at the control center.

The intercision’s blade was halfway to maiming them when the girl screamed again.

— Let me go! MOTHER! I want my mum! MUM! — It was her last word before the scythe made its full way.

Marisa didn't know why, but a slight tremor went up her spine when silence took over the room and the girl's last statement echoed through the gray walls.

— Any progress? — Marisa asked when she pulled her eyes out of the glass and looked at the doctor.

— Yes, ma'am! The girl seemed to be more resistant than the others when we compared vital signs before death — The woman responded by analyzing the small screen in the control center.

— Great — Marisa once again looked at the machine, they were taking the girl out, her dark brown hair covered her face and her little body was curled up in the arms of the man who carried her.

Another shiver ran down the brunette's back and she felt the monkey's callused hand touch hers, it was an involuntary thought, but for the first time in many years she thought about the girl, the girl who shared half of her DNA and who had the same dark locks. Dark as the little girl dead in the other room, the same dark hair as Marisa.

Would she call her? Would she call out for her mother? Or scream out for Asriel?! She laughed internally at the thought, that man is extremely talented when it comes to disappointing the women in his life, the girl was certainly not a exception.

— Mrs.Coulter? — Sister Clara's high-pitched voice caught her attention — Will you participate in the autopsy? Dr. Nelson has already prepared the room.

Marisa snapped the monkey's hand away and stared at Clara for a moment until she said “no” noiselessly and left the room.

Marisa spent 10 years in a prison without breathing, when she thought she was free, she was imprisoned in another. It was 2 years since that intercession process, now her project operates almost flawlessly and she feels that success is at her hand, the oblation board has become one of the most important in the Magisterium and of course, all the graces went to her.

But it was also 2 years ago that her bastard's thoughts haunted her, the intercision processes were easy when it wasn't about 11 and 12 year old girls with dark hair. She didn't think about her all the time, but they were more frequent thoughts than she would ever want to have.

One day, on Christmas Eve a year ago when she was getting ready for her annual gala party, she was walking through the trim shops with her assistant when a dark-haired little girl accompanied by her mother (who was at the checkout) caught her eye. The child was in awe of the Christmas chandelier that hung in front of her, her butterfly-shaped daemon flew around her.

Marisa doesn't know why, but she walked over to the girl.

— Beautiful, isn't it? — She spoke in her kindest voice.

The girl immediately lifted her head and smiled, delighted with the stunning woman in front of her, Marisa however held her breath when she looked into the child's brown eyes, she also had eyes of the same color, despite the years, Marisa managed to remember that.

— Yes, it is lady — The girl replied softly, her eyes shining as she looked at Marisa.

— I’m Marisa — The woman smiled — What's your name? — Mrs.Coulter asked, lightly stroking the top of the girl's head.

— Lily, ma'am — The girl didn’t know why, but suddenly she wanted to throw herself into the woman's arms and inhale the sweet perfume that drunk her.

Lily ... Lyra.

Marisa smiled unsteadily and stumbled out of the store holding her chest, she got into the car with the assistant on her heels and asked the driver to go home.

That was 1 year ago and she can't count on her fingers all the time that she felt like taking the first Zeppelin to Jordan College and demanding to the Master return what was rightfully hers.

Until sanity returned to the place and Marisa realized that if she did it, Asriel himself would go after her in hell to get the girl back, and she sure doesn't have time to worry about these issues.

Now, sitting in her newest apartment, furnished with the most luxurious furniture and designed by a renowned professional, she could feel extremely happy ... she could.

Sitting in the big living room on her soft sofa, that desire rises to the surface once again, Marisa thinks about how nice it would be to have a body cuddling next to her on the sofa or how splendid the apartment would be if a special children's voice covered those walls.

Marisa hates feeling that way ... weak, sentimental.

She thanks the interruption of thoughts when one of her maids arrives in the room with an important envelope in her hands.

Thinking it is another one of those reports of the procedures at the Station, she takes the envelope from the maid's hands and dismisses her.

Marisa Coulter's body froze when she read the sender, Dr. Carne Master of Jordan College, she opened the envelope with shaking hands and felt the monkey's paws on her shoulders.

She read quickly, It is your knowledge that Lyra Belacqua has been in charge of the college for twelve years ... The time has come for Lyra to receive adequate female support ... Lyra is a very intelligent and fearless girl ... If you are interested , feel invited to join us for dinner at college ... Lyra could meet you correctly... communicate to me as soon as possible, Marisa breathed in her lungs, one that she held for 2 years, maybe 12 years, her lips stood up in the most genuine of smiles and she couldn't believe this was happening, she re-read the letter 5 more times until she is convinced.

Marisa called one of her maids and then looked at her daemon that was practically hugging her neck, it was the closest they had been in years.

— Yes, ma'am? —The woman in the apron asked when she reached the room, slightly surprised when she noticed the proximity of Marisa and her daemon.

— Buy a ticket to Oxford, I'm going to Jordan college in two days - Marisa said getting up and walking around the room anxiously — Oh, call the decorator too, I want everything new for the guest room.

Once the servant left, Marisa stopped and looked at the golden monkey staring at her from the sofa, smiled for the second time the genuine smile forgotten by her lips.

— We got her back, Malice — She said, feeling in her chest what could be a beating heart.

It was the two longest days of Marisa's life, Lyra's room - yes, Lyra, her daughter, not her bastard, but also her newest assistant (Marisa had to keep up appearances) - was waiting for her at their house.

After notifying the Master on the same day she received the letter, Marisa went out shopping, it kept her busy for two days (which was a relief).

It was unusual to see Mrs.Coulter in a children's clothing store, but no one dared to question when she excitedly bought more than half the stock of things for children between 12 and 13 years old, not even she knew it was so fun to imagine her girl in one of those little dresses she made sure that were the same or similar to the ones she has in her own closet.

She felt the power as she passed elegantly through college men, boring old men, talking about boring old things. Marisa doesn't understand why Asriel condemned the girl to rot here for so long.

The feeling, which was already familiar, came back with more intensity when she saw the girl's back against the chair, that brown hair so similar to hers.

After greeting the Master, she sat next to the girl, although she had not yet looked at her, Marisa could feel Lyra’s curious eyes analyzing her.

— Hello — She heard the child's voice for the first time, soft and sweet.

— I'm not used to the grandeur of this all ... you'll have to tell me which knife and fork to use — Marisa joked and then looked at Lyra, she couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips, she could see herself in the child. The little girl has her nose, eyebrows, cheeks, chin... almost her mini-me... and of course, Marisa can see Asriel, but surprisingly, it makes the girl even more beautiful.

— Are you a female scholar? — Lyra asked, a strange feeling surrounding her heart.

— You seem surprised — Marisa couldn’t understand the feeling of curiosity that filled her at the moment, Lyra seemed to be the most interesting puzzle she had ever laid eyes on.

— Female scholars don't dress like you — Lyra said, hopping that it don’t offend the woman.

Marisa laughed for the first time in a long time at the child's spontaneity.

— I'll take this as a compliment — She looked at the child with friendly eyes — I'm part of the Santa Sofia College ... but I'm not interesting, you are — Mrs.Coulter was surprised when she realized that this was the first sincere conversation she has had with someone in a long time.

A servant boy approached the table talking to Lyra, but the girl at least acknowledged his presence, absolutely delighted with the woman.

Before the boy could approach Lyra again, Marisa put her arm in Lyra's chair to avoid his passage.

— I have nothing to say, really ... — Lyra doesn't understand the woman's interest in her, nobody has ever acted like that in her life.

— Oh, so is it a lie that you use the college’s roofs as a playground? — The thought of the child running around on rooftops caused Marisa's stomach discomfort and the fact that it was normal didn’t please her at all.

— How do you know that? — Lyra smiled, finally bewitched by the woman.

From now, Marisa knew that this would be her new addiction, Lyra would be her newest project, she would be extraordinary. Marisa will Make sure of it.

Marisa Coulter spent 12 miserable years, it all because she slept with an apparently harmless man.

Looking at the girl with his eyes, she can clearly see the next 12 wonderful years for the first time.

Marisa Coulter's heart beat again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this! Comment if you want me to write something about them again.


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